Stating The Obvious. Joe Biden is impaired.

4 years ago, when Joe Biden was on the campaign trail it was obvious to me. This man was suffering from early dementia. As a physician who regularly sees and treats patients with neuro-cognitive disease, he displayed many of the telltale signs. He frequently fumbled his words, easily became confused and sometimes disoriented. He also displayed motor impairment with a rigid choppy gate, occasional stumble and or fall as well as episodes of public anger and emotional instability. I have seen this over and over during my medical career. I’m sure his family, closest friends and advisors did as well. I learned very early in my medical career that the single best test for diagnosing dementia is to talk with family members that spend time with the patient on a daily basis.

He also displayed periods of mental clarity. This most likely provided a ray of false hope among his family and inner circle. “Joe is fine”, they must have told themselves. But this is how Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia typically present. Over time, the condition gradually progresses with the episodes of impairment becoming more pronounced and frequent. This is a chronic degenerative neurologic condition that always worsens over time. It does not get better.

I have no idea what his physicians thought or told family members. But speaking from experience, what they should have said was:“Get ready for some tough times, things will get a lot worse.” I still remember those words spoken to me and my mother from a very caring physician at the memory disorder clinic at the University of Virginia when my father was being evaluated for and diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia in the late 1990s.

Alzheimer’s Disease is a cruel illness that not only affects the patient but all those around them and in this case an entire nation. It is an emotional roller coaster that always ends sadly.

The right thing for his family and friends to have done 4 years ago would have been to have him bow out gracefully. Dementia patients need stability, rest, and as near of a normal routine and stress free life as possible. I don’t think being president of the United States fits the description. To continue this charade amounts to elder abuse and, if reelected, would continue our country on its downward spiral.

For those of you that have a friend or relative suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia my heart goes out to you. Through my research and experience, I have come to the conclusion that prevention is best achieved by concentrating on health and wellness. Diet ( removing all processed foods, seed oils, and sugar from the diet as well as consuming high protein and fat contents, vitamin D) exercise, sleep and sunlight are very helpful. I also feel certain supplements along with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and microdosing with Lithium Orotate show promise in prevention of cognitive decline.

Removing risk factors for cognitive impairment is also quite important. Head injuries are well know for increasing risk of dementia. So making tough decisions such as discouraging your children from sports and activities with risk of significant head trauma would be wise. It is also painfully evident that the C-19 mRNA shots can be destructive to every organ system in the body including the brain. I have repeatedly seen this in my clinical practice. These dangerous products should be removed from the market!